The Best Catholic Content – All in One Place!

 St. Matthew is excited to announce that our parish is subscribed to FORMED.org.  This is a dynamic online gateway to the best teaching videos, audio, and e-books to deepen your relationship with Christ and His church. This allows every parishioner to have 24/7 access to the best Catholic content on any device, including your computer, smartphone and tablet with internet access.  Many have called it “The Catholic Netflix”!

It’s Easy to Access!

  • Visit stmatthewchurch.formed.org 
  • Enter your email address and zip code, then create a password and then click on ‘create an account’
  • You’re in! And best of all access is free!
  • Apple users may search ‘formed’ in the iOS App store and Android users may search in the Google Play Store. The App is free and the access is being provided to you by St. Matthew so why wait?! Get Formed today!

Also, add the AMEN app. https://amenapp.org/signup

Why Amen?

Christian meditation, led by the Spirit, leads us to this dialogue with Jesus. There is no page of the Gospel in which there is no place for us. For us Christians, meditating is a way to encounter Jesus.
—Pope Francis, General Audience, April 28, 2021


We know God tirelessly calls each person to encounter Him through prayer. Yet, we also know that obstacles continually block the way—whether it is distraction, spiritual dryness, or dwindling motivation. That’s why we created Amen. Through a variety of faithful prayers, trusted meditations, daily devotionals, and nourishing Scripture, Amen guides you to deepen your life of prayer and find rest in God. Amen assembles the most trusted Catholic minds and theologians to offer you peace through prayer, from the moment you wake to when you go to sleep.


“Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess 5:17), “giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph 5:20).


We are here to help you do just that. So, let’s start with Amen.

Questions, Comments, Concerns? Please call Christine Balaty at 630-469-6300.


What is Alpha

Alpha is a series of sessions exploring the Christian faith, typically run over eleven weeks. Each talk looks at a different question around faith and is designed to create conversation. Alpha is run all around the globe, and everyone is welcome.

Information on St Matthew Parish’s Alpha offerings will be coming soon…


R.C.I.A.

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is the process in which adults come into communion with the Catholic Church. This process is intended for adults who have never been baptized, those who were baptized in Christian tradition other than Catholic, and for those who were baptized Catholic but have not received any formation or celebrated Confirmation and First Holy Communion.

For those wanting to inquire about the Catholic faith or receive the sacraments for the first time, contact Christine Balaty at the Parish Center at (630) 469-6300.


Download the Parent Release Form

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What is Totus Tuus? It’s a week-long Catholic summer camp held at St. Matthew and other parishes in the Diocese of Joliet led by college students and Diocese of Joliet seminarians. There is a day program for youth going into grades 1-6 and an evening program for teens going into grades 7-12. Totus Tuus focuses on the teachings of the Catholic Church, devotion to Mary, Eucharistic adoration, and FUN!!!

Save the date!!! St. Matthew is hosting Totus Tuus July 11-15 for the first time post-covid, and we are getting ready! Registrations will be in this week’s bulletin and accessible on our website. As we get ready, here are some things we need from the St. Matthew Parish community to make this year’s Totus Tuus a success! 

  • Families to house the college students/seminarians (missionaries) running Totus Tuus for the week that may have college or adult children that are out of the home, elder parishioners, single parishioners, or younger parishioners that do not yet have children.  
    • The Totus Tuus missionaries will need housing from Saturday night, July 9 through Friday morning, July 16. 
    • It would be great to have 2 host families – one for two girls and another for 2 young men.
    • Host families would provide a light continental breakfast available each morning Sunday morning through Friday morning
    • Host families or families with children or teens in the program are needed to provide dinner from Sunday night through Thursday night
  • Parishioners are needed to provide lunch for the college students/seminarians (missionaries) running Totus Tuus for the week. 
  • Volunteers can bring take out or homemade lunches for the four missionaries on any day of the week from Sunday, July 10 – Thursday, July 14. Also, an adult needs to be with the missionaries during their lunch time break.
  • Confirmation Candidates going into grades 7 and 8 or going into their 2nd year of Faith Formation preparation for Confirmation to be junior high and high school helpers for classroom activities, help for lunches and snack time, buddies for children that may need extra help to participate in the activities. This is a great opportunity for Confirmation service hours!!!
    • If you are interested in volunteering, contact the Faith Formation office for teen volunteer Protecting God’s Children forms and training information.

Contact: Christine Balaty for more information. cbalaty@stmatthewchurch.org


Enrollment Information:

Youth Faith Formation

St. Matthew Parish has adopted a formation program designed for today’s busy families and one that will help families to keep holy the Lord’s Day. All general faith formation will take place on Sunday in our St. Matthew School. Families will have the choice between three sessions taking into consideration what Mass the family participates in. The Sunday Formation sessions are 40 minutes in length and run from mid-September through mid-May.

This is a Lectionary based catechetical approach and is based on grade level. We can accommodate every grade level at any of the three sessions. Preparation for celebrating sacraments is in addition to Sunday Formation. All students seeking to celebrate Confession, First Communion, and/or Confirmation must be enrolled in our Sunday Formation Program.

Sunday Formation

9:10am Session – families may either participate in the 8am Mass and then have the children attend their formation class or attend their formation class first and then, as a family, participate in the 10am Mass. This session ends at 9:50am.

11:10 Session – the timing of this session allows families the opportunity to participate in the 10am Mass and then have their children attend their faith formation class or have their children attend their faith formation class first and then, as a family, participate in the 12 noon Mass. This session ends at 11:50am.

12:40pm Session – Families choosing to have their children attend this session must have the intention to participate in the 1:30pm Mass in Español. This session ends at 1:20pm.

Sacramental Preparation – children seeking to celebrate sacraments must be in their second year of Sunday Formation. Good attendance for Sunday Formation classes is a requirement to be enrolled for sacramental preparation classes. At the time of enrollment we will review with each family the sacramental needs of each child and enroll them in the appropriate classes.

Reconciliation (Confession) Classes – are typically two 1.5 hour sessions on two Saturdays in December. The children’s First Reconciliation will be scheduled after January 1st and before the First Communion celebrations.

Communion (Eucharist) Classes – are typically scheduled in March and are on four Saturday mornings. Each class is 1.5 hours.

Confirmation Classes – Students preparing for Confirmation will attend seven Confirmation classes which are held on Wednesday evenings and are 1.5 hours each. These classes are typically scheduled during March & April. Candidates for Confirmation are also required to participate in a Confirmation Retreat and to demonstrate their ‘Love of Neighbor’ by completing service projects.

Enrollment in Parish Faith Formation Programs

While we recommend that each child begin their journey in our catechetical program, St. Matthew recognizes the role of the parents as the primary teachers of faith (from the Rite of Baptism)for their children. While it is traditional for a child to begin their journey to their First Reconciliation and First Communion in first grade and complete their preparation in second grade, and then continue in their formation towards Confirmation in eighth grade, we realize this is not always the case. In the event children are enrolled in our program ‘out of sequence’, we have to assume that the parents have been teaching their children their prayers and other Church teachings. Below is a document of what each child should know by grade level. These are the minimum expectations we have for each student at the time of enrollment. St. Matthew Faith Formation Prayer Requirement by Grade

Enrollment procedures:

The following procedures must be respected to assure effective enrollment. Please understand that each child must be enrolled every year they are involved with our parish faith formation classes.

New Enrollments

  • All families must be registered parishioners.
  • Photocopies of Baptismal and Eucharist certificates (if applicable) are required. No child is allowed to begin classes until this requirement is fulfilled or granted an extension by the director.
  • If transferring from another parish, a letter stating the status of your child’s catechetical formation is necessary.
  • Families that have moved into the area during the school year will be given individual consideration.
  • Tuition and all other fees are expected to be paid in full at the time of Enrollment. This allows us to maintain an affordable program.

Re – Enrollment

For families currently enrolled in the program, the procedure is as follows.

  • Enrollment information for the upcoming year will be available in mid-May. This will include the enrollment period,
  • Tuition and all other fees are expected to be paid in full at the time of Enrollment.
  • Parents (or legal guardians) must complete the enrollment form.
  • Parents are expected to attend a parent meeting scheduled just before classes begin.

Tuition

The tuition and other fees cover a portion of the program expenditures. The parish subsidizes the remaining costs. Revenues are applied toward facility usage, the cost of classroom materials (including textbooks where applicable), and the formation of the catechists.

All families are expected to pay the tuition and other fees. However, no child will be denied religious education due to financial difficulties. Families should contact the Faith Formation Office (630-469-5178) in these matters.

2022-2023 Tuition Schedule   (prior to September 1, 2022)
Sunday Formation tuition is $225.00 per family regardless of the number of children in the family. Families may not be combined.
2022-2022 Tuition Schedule  (after September 1, 2022)
Sunday Formation tuition is $250.00 per family regardless of the number of children in the family. Families may not be combined.

Sacramental Fees
First Reconciliation (Confession): $20 per student (payable in the second year of preparation)

*Note: students entering the program in grade 6 or higher will prepare for their First Reconciliation during their first year of formation.

First Communion: $40.00 (payable in the second year of preparation)
Confirmation: $75.00 (payable in the second year of preparation) 

Emergency School Closing

http://www.emergencyclosingcenter.com/complete.html

In the event of severe weather, St. Matthew will communicate to families of our Faith Formation program in many ways including local television and radio as well as the internet. The most effective way to monitor emergency closing situation is by clicking on the link below for up to date information.

You may also choose to sign up for E-mail notification on this website so if Faith Formation classes/activities are cancelled, you would automatically receive a message.

Información de inscripción:

Formación De Los Niños

La Parroquia San Mateo ha adoptado un programa de formación diseñado para las familias ocupadas de hoy y que ayudará a las familias a santificar el Día del Señor. Toda la formación en la fe general se llevará a cabo el domingo en nuestra escuela St. Matthew. Las familias podrán elegir entre tres sesiones teniendo en cuenta en qué horario de Misa participa la familia. Las sesiones de formación dominical duran 40 minutos y se llevan a cabo desde mediados de septiembre hasta mediados de mayo.

Este es un enfoque catequético basado en el Leccionario y se basa en el nivel de grado escolar. Podemos acomodar todos los niveles de grado escolar en cualquiera de las tres sesiones. La preparación para la celebración de los sacramentos se suma a la formación dominical. Todos los estudiantes que deseen celebrar la Confesión, Primera Comunión y/o Confirmación deben estar inscritos en nuestro Programa de Formación Dominical.

Horario de Sesiones de la Formación dominical

Sesión de las 9:10 am – Las familias pueden participar en la misa de las 8 am y luego hacer que los niños asistan a su clase de formación o asistir a su clase de formación primero y luego, como familia, participar en la misa de las 10 am. Esta sesión termina a las 9:50 am.

Sesión de las 11:10 –  El horario de esta sesión permite a las familias la oportunidad de participar en la misa de las 10 a.m. y luego hacer que sus hijos asistan a su clase de formación en la fe o que sus hijos asistan primero a su clase de formación en la fe y luego, como familia, participen en la Misa de las 12 del mediodía. Esta sesión termina a las 11:50 am.

Sesión de las 12:40 pm – Las familias que elijan que sus hijos asistan a esta sesión deben tener la intención de participar en la Misa de la 1:30 pm en español. Esta sesión termina a la 1:20 pm.

Preparación sacramental: los niños que buscan celebrar los sacramentos deben estar en su segundo año de formación dominical. La buena asistencia a las clases de formación dominical es un requisito para estar inscrito en las clases de preparación sacramental. En el momento de la inscripción, revisaremos con cada familia las necesidades sacramentales de cada niño y los inscribiremos en las clases apropiadas.

Clases de reconciliación (confesión): Generalmente son dos sesiones de hora y media dos sábados durante el año. La Primera Reconciliación de los niños se programará después del 1 de enero y antes de las celebraciones de la Primera Comunión.

Clases de Comunión (Eucaristía): Generalmente se programan alrededor de marzo y son los cuatro sábados por la mañana. Cada clase es de hora y media.

Clases de confirmación: Los estudiantes que se preparan para la confirmación asistirán a siete clases de confirmación que se llevan a cabo los miércoles por la noche y duran hora y media cada una. Por lo general, estas clases se programan durante marzo y abril. Los candidatos a la Confirmación también deben participar en un Retiro de Confirmación y demostrar su “amor al prójimo” al completar proyectos de servicio.

Inscripción en programas parroquiales de formación en la fe

Si bien recomendamos que cada niño comience su viaje en nuestro programa de catequesis, San Mateo reconoce el papel de los padres como los principales maestros de fe (del Rito del Bautismo) para sus hijos. Si bien es tradicional que un niño comience su viaje hacia su Primera Reconciliación y Primera Comunión en primer grado y complete su preparación en segundo grado, y luego continúe su formación hacia la Confirmación en octavo grado, nos damos cuenta de que este no es siempre el caso. En el caso de que los niños se inscriban en nuestro programa “fuera de secuencia”, debemos asumir que los padres han estado enseñando a sus hijos sus oraciones y otras enseñanzas de la Iglesia. A continuación se muestra un documento de lo que cada niño debe saber por nivel de grado. Estas son las expectativas mínimas que tenemos para cada estudiante al momento de la inscripción. St. Matthew Faith Formation Prayer Requirement by Grade

Procedimientos de inscripción:

Se deben respetar los siguientes procedimientos para asegurar una inscripción efectiva. Por favor, comprenda que cada niño debe estar inscrito cada año que participe en nuestras clases de formación en la fe parroquial.

Nuevas inscripciones

  • Todas las familias deben ser feligreses registrados.
  • Se requieren fotocopias de los certificados de bautismo y eucaristía (si corresponde). Ningún niño puede comenzar las clases hasta que el director cumpla con este requisito o le otorgue una extensión.
  • Si se transfiere de otra parroquia, es necesaria una carta que indique el estado de la formación catequética de su hijo.
  • Las familias que se han mudado al área durante el año escolar recibirán consideración individual.
  • Se espera que la matrícula y todas las demás tarifas se paguen en su totalidad en el momento de la inscripción. Esto nos permite mantener un programa accesible.

Reinscripción

Para las familias actualmente inscritas en el programa, el procedimiento es el siguiente.  La información de inscripción para el próximo año estará disponible a mediados de mayo.

Se espera que la matrícula y todas las demás tarifas se paguen en su totalidad en el momento de la inscripción.  Los padres (o tutores legales) deben completar el formulario de inscripción.

Se espera que los padres asistan a una reunión de padres programada justo antes de que comiencen las clases.

Matrícula

La matrícula y otras tarifas cubren una parte de los gastos del programa. La parroquia subvenciona los gastos restantes. Los ingresos se aplican al uso de las instalaciones, el costo de los materiales del aula (incluidos los libros de texto cuanto corresponda) y la formación de los catequistas.

Se espera que todas las familias paguen la matrícula y otras tarifas. Sin embargo, a ningún niño se le negará la educación religiosa debido a dificultades económicas. Las familias deben comunicarse con la Oficina de Formación en la Fe (630-469-5178) para estos asuntos.

Fechas para matricular año 2022-2023  (antes del 1 de Septiembre de 2022)El costo para matricular para la  formación dominical es de $225.00 por familia, independientemente del número de niños en la familia. Las familias no se pueden combinar.Fechas para matricular año 2022-2023  (después del 1 de Septiembre de 2022)El costo para matricular para la  formación dominical es de $250.00 por familia, independientemente del número de niños en la familia. Las familias no se pueden combinar.

Tarifas sacramentales

Primera reconciliación (confesión): $ 20 por estudiante (pagadero en el segundo año de preparación)

* Nota: los estudiantes que ingresen al programa en el grado 6 o superior se prepararán para su Primera Reconciliación durante su primer año de formación.

Primera Comunión: $40.00 (se pagará en el segundo año de preparación)

Confirmación: $75.00 (se pagará en el segundo año de preparación)

Cierre de la escuela por emergencia

En caso de mal tiempo, St. Matthew se comunicará con las familias de nuestro programa de Formación en la Fe de los Niños de varias maneras, incluida la televisión y la radio locales, así como Internet. La forma más efectiva de monitorear la situación de cierre de emergencia es haciendo click en el enlace a continuación para obtener información actualizada.

http://www.emergencyclosingcenter.com/complete.html

También puede optar por registrarse para recibir una notificación por correo electrónico en este sitio web, de modo que si se cancelan las clases / actividades de formación en la fe, automáticamente recibirá un mensaje.

Don’t Forget to Check out What Many People Are Calling the “Catholic Netflix!” Formed® Has Cartoons & More for Kids, Movies for The Family, Great Stuff for Teens and Much, Much More! 

Click Here for More Information → Formed! 


“I.M.P.A.C.T.”

“I.M.P.A.C.T.” is a program for teens and is offered for students in 8th through 12th grades on Sunday evenings from 6:00 – 8:00 PM. The group meets in the school and teens can enter using door #4. The format provides spiritual growth, fellowship, service and social time. Students are encouraged to attend on a regular basis, but may begin at any time. Being an active member of the youth group will satisfy the Service Project component required for Confirmation.

Catholic Heart Work Camp

Each summer teens from our parish participate in a summer mission/service trip in which we serve the needy. We partner with Catholic Heart Workcamp for these trips and you can find out more about this opportunity by visiting http://heartworkcamp.com/

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